The present invention relates to a mobile furnace for facilitating the removal of foreign material, such as coatings, from workpieces, and a method of facilitating the removal of foreign material from workpieces.
Many items, such as tools, automobile parts, fixtures, etc., have a metal structure that is combined with comparatively less durable parts or materials, such as coatings, gaskets, fiberglass, enamels, paints, etc. In general, the less durable parts or materials in such items deteriorate more quickly than the metal structures that they are combined with. Rather than discarding an item when the less durable parts or materials deteriorate, the metal structure of the item can be salvaged by removing the deteriorated material.
A conventional device for removing material from a metal structure is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,830,196 to Guttman et al. In FIG. 1, Guttman discloses a stationary painting line in which parts are hung from aluminum hangers 40, and advanced through a painting zone 20 by a conveyor 10. The painting line includes a burn-off oven 28 for removing paint that has accumulated on the aluminum hangers 40. Guttman""s painting line is a static structure, and occupies a large space. In addition, workers located near the painting line may be exposed to harmful combustion products produced in the burn-off oven 28.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,270,898 to Kelly discloses a conventional burner control method for removing materials from metal parts 5 in a reclamation furnace 1. Kelly""s reclamation furnace 1 is also a static structure, and the parts 5 must therefore be brought to the furnace 1 for processing. In addition, workers located near the furnace 1 may be exposed to harmful combustion products.
The present invention is in part directed to providing a mobile furnace that can be transported to a worksite for facilitating the removal of material from workpieces at the worksite. The invention is also directed to a method for facilitating the removal of foreign materials from workpieces at a worksite, using a mobile furnace.
According to one embodiment of the present invention, a mobile furnace comprises a wheeled vehicle, such as a trailer, for transporting the mobile furnace to a worksite, and burners for heating a combustion chamber to a temperature sufficient to facilitate removal of foreign material from workpieces placed in the combustion chamber. Because it is mobile, the mobile furnace does not require a fixed area for operation. The worksite can therefore be utilized for other purposes after material removal is completed.
The mobile furnace according to the present invention can also be operated at a remote worksite, so that workers and other persons are not exposed to combustion products produced during operation of the mobile furnace.
According to another embodiment of the present invention, a mobile furnace is used in a method to facilitate removal of foreign material from workpieces. In the method, workpieces are placed in the mobile furnace and heated to a temperature sufficient to remove foreign material from the workpieces (generally, the workpieces are xe2x80x9cprocessedxe2x80x9d). The burned foreign material, or ash, can be retained in the mobile furnace after removal from the workpieces, and transported to another site for disposal, or for further processing.
According to the method, the worksite receives minimal exposure to the ash produced during processing of the workpieces.
Further scope of applicability of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description given hereinafter. However, it should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating preferred embodiments of the invention, are given by way of illustration only, since various changes and modifications within the spirit and scope of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from this detailed description.